I grew up with Marianne Ilaw!  Years later,   We reconnected through Facebook!  I loved and still love Marianne Dearly!  I commend her

Achievements!!  She will always remain 

A powerful part of my life!!  My condolences to her family!!  Love always-Ilona Spiegel

My condolences to Marianne's family. I first met Marianne at GSUSA  when we both worked in Communications.  Marianne would regale us with wonderful stories of her pink bedroom and her social life.  

Marianne interviewed me for the company newsletter because I was vegan and into wellness which was not as popular in the early 80s.  She wrote a beautiful article dispelling some of the myths of Veganism and my lifestyle.  I discovered the article during the height of the pandemic and just laughed at the memories.  I thought I would share it with her but when we reconnected on Facebook, I shared information about Phillipine culture instead.

Marianne was warm, intelligent, funny and a beautiful writer.  She said her truth boldly and that's what drew people to her. She will be fondly remembered.

My friend Marianne... I've been praying for the right words to share memoirs about our friendship. Marianne is my home girl forever! I'll tell you all a little story. When I was a freshman at Springfield Gardens High School, I was teased by the chicks who were tight in their clicks. Marianne was my "upperclass friend" from the neighborhood, and she wasn't having it, so she decided to walk home with me, and let the bullies know that I had peeps "who weren't scared to step to the line." 🤛🏾🤜🏾 I am forever grateful for our friendship. We both loved to dance, and Marianne had some moves that I spent hours trying to perfect. But most of all, I'll miss her sassy and smart dialogue. We spent hours on the phone reminiscing about the good old days in the 114. I tried to see her last year, but we couldn't make it happen. That's okay.... we will dance again "soon as I get home" 💃🏾💃🏾

You were a prolific writer. Your writings will live forever.  Your wit, humor, and comments will be missed. Gone, but never far from our hearts. My deepest sympathy to the family for your loss.

July 8, 2023

Dear Marianne:

I was so sorry to hear about your passing. Put on big girl panties and said: well, you are at peace now, up in heaven with your mother, your aunt Judy, your father. Other family members. I made myself okay with your passing, because I guess that’s what I do when someone dies. I make myself okay. Cry. Dry my eyes and say they are at rest.

But hours after hearing the news, as the night grows longer, I realize that I’m not that okay with you leaving. Sometimes you don’t understand a depth of a relationship until the relationship ends.

I knew I considered you a friend, a confidante, admiring your spunk, your skillset, your wisdom and intelligence and how great of a writer you were. I’d hoped, openly and silently, that you would sit down and write that novel about growing up in "114" (Queens, NY Area Code) during the 70’s. I knew you could do. I knew you possessed everything you needed to craft it.

When Lonnie introduced us, by way of facebook, many years ago, I was happy to make your acquaintance. Though you were a journalist and I, an author, we had a lot of commonality in our pursuit of obtaining our dreams. We had similar ‘war’ stories about the world of ‘putting the pen to pad’ for all the world to see. I think it was you who told me that we both breathed ‘rarified air’—attaining success with the words we put on the page, where hundreds of thousands got to read them. I agreed, remarking that the cool thing about being a published writer was, our words would live on long after we were gone.

I never thought you’d be gone so soon. Always envisioned meeting up with you on Queens Blvd, near the court house in Kew Gardens, face-to-face, for the first time. That is the crazy thing. We never got the chance to meet in person, but our souls were connected.

I still hear you giving me advice about things. How you were the only person I allowed to call me “Mags.” The first time I took offense. But by the third, I embraced it, like I embraced the other moniker you gave me for our "Friday Night R&B Lyric Challenge" on facebook. You crowned me “Home Skillet” after a few wins under my belt and I wore that name proudly.

No, we didn’t talk every day, but connected often on facebook and by phone. Realizing that such moments will never come again has me teary-eyed.

Friday nights will never be the same. I know I will still check my in-box for messages from you, saddened when no new ones come. I will miss you, my dear friend. We will all miss you. You were a wonderful human being, of which I was happy to call a ‘Sister in Writing,’ among other things. But I will try and find comfort in the fact that you are at true peace now. Thank you for being a friend.

Love,

Mags aka "Home Skillet" ❤

I just learned of Marianne’s passing today. It is with profound sadness that I offer my condolences to the family.

Claudia Davis